This invention relates in general to roller skating, and more particularly to a single foot skate for use with one or both feet.
Skating on rollers has long been popular for recreation, sport and even transportation. Conventional skating devices include boots having a rectangular pattern of rollers (xe2x80x9croller skatesxe2x80x9d), boots having a single line of rollers (xe2x80x9cin-line skatesxe2x80x9d) and skateboards. Each have certain advantages and disadvantages. Negotiating stairs, curbs, slippery surfaces, or other obstacles is difficult when wearing conventional in-line or roller skates because both feet have rollers coupled to them. Whereas, a skateboard user can simply step off the board, or at least place one foot on the ground for stability. On the other hand, conventional skateboards are not coupled to a user""s feet, therefore users have more limited control and can be easily dislodged from the board.
This invention provides a novel skating device which combines advantages of both boot skates and skateboards. A user has positive control of the rollers, as with in-line and roller skates, because the rollers are coupled to a user""s foot, but in addition the user has a non-rollered foot for pushing forward against the ground and/or for stability, as with board skating.
Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily discernable upon a reading of the text hereinafter.
An object of this invention is to provide a single skate which accommodates both feet of a user.
A further object of this invention is to provide a single skate worn on one foot but which can be controlled by both feet.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a skate worn on one foot with a platform affixed thereto for supporting the other foot.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a skate having a foot supporting platform extending from the rear of the skate.
A further object of this invention is to provide a single boot type skate having a foot supporting platform which allows the supported free foot to at least partially control the skate.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a skate having a rear foot supporting platform and a brake pad therebeneath.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a skate with xe2x80x9cin-linexe2x80x9d rollers having a rear foot supporting platform and a brake pad therebeneath.
An additional object of this invention is to provide a skate with xe2x80x9croller skatexe2x80x9d rollers having a rear foot supporting platform and a brake pad therebeneath.
These objects, and other objects expressed or implied in this document, are accomplished by a single skate having a platform extending from the rear of the skate for support of the user""s free foot, i.e., the foot not wearing a skate. The user""s free foot provides stability when stopped, at low speeds and while negotiating obstacles. The foot platform allows the skate to be controlled in a manner similar to a skateboard but provides the advantage of having the rollers coupled to the user""s foot.